Conversation:

It is, of course, also the central premise of the Terry Pratchett book 'Interesting Times'....

Not only that, but in a recent talk that he did with Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen, it was stated (I can't remember which one of them said it) that it's actually part of a series of 3 curses. IIRC, they were:

1. May you live in interesting times.
2. May the authorities take an interest in you.
3. May the gods give you everything that you desire.

[Prof. Ian Stewart and Dr. Jack Cohen wrote the science bits of the two "Science of Discworld" books, not to mention various other pop-science books. They've also received honorary degrees from the Unseen University.]

these honorary degrees, are they more or less credible than this years A level results

They both seem to have a highly fictive element to them and are the subject of much hilarity...then again degrees given out by an academic institution with orangutans on the staff certainly reminds me of my university days...ah, misty water-coloured memories...

chances are they will be sir!